Vanilla Bean Skins
#1
Posted 23 February 2010 - 08:55 AM
#2
Posted 23 February 2010 - 08:58 AM
#3
Posted 23 February 2010 - 09:02 AM
Throw everyone in the pool. No ill effects. I usually cut the bean in half crosswise, then slice the 2 parts lengthwise with a paring knife. Lay the blade over on its back and scrape the meat out pulling the bean under the blade and getting a nice clump. Throw it all in the bourbon and let stand. A tip when dumping, if using a carboy, try getting as much bean in first as you can without the bourbon. Some will always stick to the side, now you can swish to clean it off. If you dump all at once you will be left a bunch of vanilla stuck to the sides with nothing to rinse it. When I have done this in the past I used a sanitized plastic spatula to scrape the remainders, and I realize it is postfermented with alcohol, but why bother if you do not need to?I am racking a version of Denny's Bourbon Vanilla Imperial Porter today. I was wondering about vanilla bean skins, I was going to infuse the bourbon for a few days with the vanilla meat and the bean skins. Will the skins throw off any bad flavors? Tannins? Seems like they would add flavor?Thanks
#4
Posted 23 February 2010 - 05:21 PM
#5
Posted 23 February 2010 - 07:48 PM
#6
Posted 24 February 2010 - 07:14 AM
#7
Posted 24 February 2010 - 08:50 AM
Why vodka? Trying to minimize the bourbon?FWIW, I was thinking of soaking the beans in vodka. Dump it all.And soaking oak cubes in burbon. Dumping only the cubes.
#8
Posted 24 February 2010 - 11:54 AM
Thanks guys. One more thing.This is the second time I am making this beer. The first we just chucked 2 vanilla beans scraped and sliced and 3 cups of bourbon in a 10 gallon batch. We barely noticed either.How much do you guys use? I was thinking 4 cups bourbon and 4 vanilla beans.
#9
Posted 24 February 2010 - 12:58 PM
#10
Posted 24 February 2010 - 05:43 PM
#11
Posted 24 February 2010 - 07:41 PM
Is that for 5 gals?With mine I do 3 beans and 400ml of bourbon. Both are very noticeable and enjoyable. Some think it is on the strongish side, but I like it.
#12
Posted 25 February 2010 - 04:27 AM
Oops, sorry. Yea that is per 5 gal.Thanks for the replies.Is that for 5 gals?
#13
Posted 25 February 2010 - 08:25 AM
#14
Posted 25 February 2010 - 08:53 AM
#15
Posted 25 February 2010 - 12:22 PM
I'm with you...not a bourbon fan in the least. What I tried to do with that beer is make the vanilla and bourbon integrated, supporting flavors, not dominant. That's why I always say that as long as you don't use rotgut, the kind of bourbon doesn't matter. It shouldn't stand out. I arrived at 375 ml. by pouring 4 2 oz. samples of the beer before adding bourbon. I dosed each with a different amount, and tasted to find which I liked best. Then I scaled that amount up to the batch size.I'm not a big fan of Bourbon, especially when it dominates the beer flavor. For instance I think Bailey's Irish Cream has to much whiskey; preferring Emmet's instead which is more balanced towards cream. So saying that to those knowledgeable in those two Irish Creams; would I consider the 375 ml charge of Bourbon in 5 gal excessive?thanx.
#16
Posted 25 February 2010 - 01:30 PM
That is particularly true. A few weeks to a month does wonders for integrating and smoothing the flavor out.Well Stout, I would suggest then adding 200-250 and see if you like it. Then if it is too subtle add a little more. Addind is a lot easier than taking away (unless you are bottling). Really, the method Denny mentioned is the best. Just do your own scale up. When you get the scaled up number cut it back a little for scale errors and go from there.The other thing to consider is maturation time. This beer really mellows out in 4-6 months, and the bourbon/vanilla level seems to as well. I thought I may have ruined it my first go around, and drank the keg slowly, but a few months later the flavors were much more soft and subtle- almost background and not up front.
#17
Posted 26 February 2010 - 09:27 AM
:angry:Thanks Denny, I've done this in the past on my Palo Santo RIS.Memory failing, must be all the beer.... I arrived at 375 ml. by pouring 4 2 oz. samples of the beer before adding bourbon. I dosed each with a different amount, and tasted to find which I liked best. Then I scaled that amount up to the batch size.
Edited by Stout_fan, 26 February 2010 - 09:28 AM.
#18
Posted 26 February 2010 - 03:43 PM
Where did you get the wood, and what did you use?:smilielol:on my Palo Santo RIS.
#19
Posted 01 March 2010 - 08:48 AM
John Gasparine runs an exotic wood flooring company here in Baltimore. He came up with the Palo Santo concept and is Sam's wood supplier.To commemorate the brew John commissioned two tap markers that myself and another wood worker made for Sam's brewery.The payoff was we were all supposed to be at the brewpub for the release. Turns out they forgot to inform us of the actual release. John found out by a friend who wondered why he hadn't shown up. John said he got in two days before the keg blew, with no way to contact us. We were fixtures at Max's and never bothered to exchange phone numbers. Anyway, we woodworkers never made it. However, I was able to buy a case of the second batch.Some wood was left over after the $200 block of Palo Santo was cut to size for the tap markers. That's what we used. John is on a non compete agreement and can't supply wood to brewers. So your source will have to be elsewhere. IIRC my dosage was 50 gm in a 12.5 gal batch of RIS.Proper dosage was eye dropped into a plain RIS in the fashion Denny mentioned.Hence the face palm; I should have remembered the technique.Where did you get the wood, and what did you use?
#20
Posted 01 March 2010 - 12:05 PM
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